A dated 1920s Californian Bungalow in Melbourne that was transformed into a Nordic inspired, blush-toned wonderland, demonstrates the importance of finding that perfect balance between architectural design and practical lighting applications for family living.
The homeowners, Nat Wheeler from norsu Interiors and her husband Dan, worked closely with Gerard Lighting to find this happy medium. “Lighting shouldn’t be seen as just a mere necessity,” says Nat, “instead it’s an important design process in achieving the overall mood and feeling of a home”.
When it comes to interior lighting, it’s important to create a signature statement about your individual style with a carefully curated range of feature lights. Nat’s home has Pierlite Litelux Opticolour LED downlights, which can change colour temperature when dimmed, and Pierlite Astara Real Ambient Sunset Dim LED downlights, allowing them to “colour shift” the light output for a balance between visual comfort and ambience.
Today’s modern technology now allows for smart home connectivity, making life easier with lighting control solutions. Being able to operate lighting by remote control helps create a home that’s more energy efficient, secure and relaxing. Here Gerard Lighting went for state-of the-art simplicity, with the Diginet Sitara lighting control system. Nat and Dan can personalise the way they control their lighting via their smartphone or tablet, whether it be setting different lighting levels in a range of rooms, choosing lighting moods or having lights turn on to simulate occupancy whilst they’re away. “We have two young children and having the ability and luxury to turn lights on and off remotely were extremely appealing to us,” says Nat. “Our children are still at the age where they are at times frightened by the dark, so the Diginet Sitara wireless feature allows us to control the dimming of their lights from the comfort of our sofa. We can also utilise the timer feature to ensure we’re being sustainably conscious once they’re asleep. Being able to turn on the lights at night wirelessly before entering the home ensures we always feel safe.”
With a love for the outdoors and alfresco dining, Nat also wanted feature lighting around the exterior of their home. Gerard Lighting suggested its Crompton KALI Adjustable and Diablo LED Wall Lights due to their minimalist design, along with the directional nature that highlights the surrounding landscaped greenery.
“A big lesson learnt was to never underestimate the importance of planning your lighting from the beginning,” says Nat. “Working with Gerard Lighting meant that we could select lighting for both internal and external from the one supplier, allowing much needed simplicity when renovating.”
